Tuesday, October 31, 2017

Fw: TheList 4575

I hope that you all had a great weekend. This is a Bubba Breakfast Friday in San Diego.

Regards,

Skip

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This Day In Naval History - October 30

1775 - Congress authorizes four vessels for the defense of the United

Colonies.

1799 - William Balch becomes Navy's first commissioned Chaplain.

1863: The wooden side-wheel steam ship Vanderbilt captures the bark Saxon, which was suspected of having rendezvoused with and taken cargo from CSS Tuscaloosa at Angra Pequena, Africa.

The American Minute

John Adams was born OCTOBER 30, 1735.

A Harvard graduate, he was admitted to the bar and married Abigail Smith in

1764.

In the Continental Congress, John Adams recommended Thomas Jefferson pen

the Declaration and George Washington be Commander-in-Chief.

John Adams authored Massachusetts' 1780 Constitution and was U.S. Minister

to France, signing the Treaty of Paris that ended the Revolutionary War.

While U.S. Minister to Britain, John Adams helped ratify the Constitution

by writing a three volume work: Defense of the Constitution of the

Government of the United States.

John Adams was the first Vice-President, serving under George Washington,

and in 1796 was elected the 2nd U.S. President.

He established the Library of Congress and the Department of Navy.

His son, John Quincy, became 6th President.

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2016 Today in History October 30

1270

The Seventh Crusade ends by the Treaty of Barbary.

1485

Henry VII of England crowned.

1697

The Treaty of Ryswick ends the war between France and the Grand Alliance.

1838

Oberlin Collegiate Institute in Lorian County, Ohio becomes the first college in the U.S. to admit female students.

1899

Two battalions of British troops are cut off, surrounded and forced to surrender to General Petrus Joubert's Boers at Nicholson's Nek.

1905

The czar of Russia issues the October Manisfesto, granting civil liberties and elections in an attempt to avert the burgeonng supprot for revolution.

1918

The Italians capture Vittorio Veneto and rout the Austro-Hungarian army.

1918

Turkey signs an armistice with the Allies, agreeing to end hostilities at noon, October 31.

1922

Mussolini sends his black shirts into Rome. The Fascist takeover is almost without bloodshed. The next day, Mussolini is made prime minister. Mussolini centralized all power in himself as leader of the Fascist party and attempted to create an Italian empire, ultimately in alliance with Hitler's Germany.

1925

Scotsman John L. Baird performs first TV broadcast of moving objects.

1938

H.G. Wells' War of the Worlds is broadcast over the radio by Orson Welles' Mercury Theatre. Many panic believing it is an actual newscast about a Martian invasion.

1941

The U.S. destroyer Reuben James, on convoy duty off Iceland, is sunk by a German U-boat with the loss of 96 Americans.

1950

The First Marine Division is ordered to replace the entire South Korean I Corps at the Chosin Reservoir area.

1953

US Pres. Dwight D. Eisenhower formally approves a top secret document to maintain and expand the country's nuclear arsenal.

1961

The USSR detonates "Tsar Bomba," a 50-megaton hydrogen bomb; it is still (2013) the largest explosive device of any kind over detonated.

1965

US Marines repeal multiple-wave attacks by Viet Cong within a few miles of Da Nang where the Marines were based; a sketch of Marine positions was found on the body of a 13-year-old boy who had been selling the Americans drinks the previous day.

1973

The Bosphorus Bridge is completed at Istanbul, Turkey, connecting Europe and Asia over the Bosphorus Strait.

1974

The "Rumble in the Jungle," a boxing match in Zaire that many regard as the greatest sporting event of the 20th century, saw challenger Muhammad Ali knock out previously undefeated World Heavyweight Champion George Foreman.

When Richard Nixon was in the White House, I was in Vietnam and he was my commander in chief. When I was on Ronald Reagan's National Security Council staff, I had the opportunity to brief former President Nixon on numerous occasions and came to admire his analysis of current events, insights on world affairs and compassion for our troops. His preparation for any meeting or discussion was exhaustive. His thirst for information was unquenchable and his tolerance for fools was nonexistent.

It's sad, but I've come to accept that the real story of the heroic American GIs in Vietnam may never be told. Like too many others, Ken Burnsportrays the young soldiers, sailors, airmen and Marines of the Vietnam War as pot-smoking, drug-addicted, hippie marauders.

Those with whom I served were anything but. They did not commit the atrocities alleged in the unforgivable lies John Kerry described to a congressional committee so prominently featured by Mr. Burns. The troops my brother and I were blessed to lead were honorable, heroic and tenacious. They were patriotic, proud of their service, and true to their God and our country. To depict them otherwise, as Mr. Burns does, is an egregious disservice to them, the families of the fallen and to history. But his treatment of my fellow Vietnam War veterans is just the start. Some of the most blatant travesties in the film are reserved for President Nixon.

Because of endless fairy tales told by Ken Burns and others, many Americans associate Richard Nixon with the totality and the worst events of Vietnam. It's hardly evident in the Burns "documentary," but important to note: When Richard Nixon was elected president in 1968, he inherited a nation — and a world — engulfed in discord and teetering on the brink of widespread chaos. His predecessor, Lyndon Johnson, was forced from office with a half-million U.S. troops mired in combat and fierce anti-American government demonstrations across the country and in our nation's capital.

Ken Burns may not recall — but my family remembers: It was Lyndon Johnson who sent my brother and me to war. It was Richard Nixon who brought us home. It is very likely we are alive today because Mr. Nixon kept his word.

That's not the only opportunity for accuracy Mr. Burns ignored. He could have credited Mr. Nixon with granting 18-year olds the right to vote in July 1971 with the 26th Amendment to our Constitution. (Does Ken even recall the slogan, "Old enough to fight — old enough to vote!" He should. Mr. Burns turned 18 that same month.)

President Nixon pressed on to all but finish the war. As promised, he brought our combat units home, returned 591 prisoners of war to their wives and families, ended the draft, leveraged the conflict to open ties with China and improved relations with the Soviet Union. He pushed both Communist giants in Beijing and Moscow to force their North Vietnamese puppet into a negotiated settlement. Yet he is portrayed in the Burns documentary as a cold-blooded, calculating politician more interested in re-election than the lives of U.S. troops in combat.

Contrary to the film's portrayal, Mr. Nixon had a complicated strategy to achieve "peace with honor." His goal was to train and equip the South Vietnamese military to defend their own country in a process he called "Vietnamization," and thereby withdraw American troops.

President Nixon succeeded in isolating the North Vietnamese diplomatically and negotiated a peace agreement that preserved the right of the people of South Vietnam to determine their own political future. Imperfect as the Saigon government was, by 1973 the South Vietnamese had many well-trained troops and units that fought well and were proud to be our allies. This intricate and sophisticated approach took shape over four wartime years but receives only superficial mention in Mr. Burns' production.

Despite Democrat majorities in both houses of Congress, Mr. Nixon — a deft political powerhouse — attained consistent support from America's "Silent Majority."

If Mr. Burns read President Nixon's memoir or his two successive books in which the former president recounts his emotional anguish at the war's toll — "No More Vietnams" and "In the Arena" — there is little evidence in the PBS production. Instead, Mr. Burns cherry-picks from the infamous "Nixon tapes" to brand the president as a devious manipulator, striving for mass deception — a patently false allegation.

By the time President Nixon resigned office on Aug. 9, 1974, the Vietnam War was all but won and the South Vietnamese were confident of securing a permanent victory. But in December 1974 — three months after Mr. Nixon departed the White House — a vengeful, Democrat-dominated Congress cut off all aid to South Vietnam.

It was a devastating blow for those to whom Mr. Nixon had promised — not U.S. troops — but steadfast military, economic and diplomatic support. As chronicled in memoirs written afterwards in Hanoi, Moscow, and Beijing, the communists celebrated. The ignominious end came with a full-scale North Vietnamese invasion five months later.

Despite the war's end — and the trauma that continues to afflict our country — there is little in the Burns so-called documentary about the courage, patriotism, and dedication of the U.S. troops who fought honorably, bravely and the despicable way in which we were "welcomed" home.

The PBS "documentary" frequently reminds viewers of the "gallant nationalist fervor" among the North Vietnamese. But the South Vietnamese are portrayed as little more than conniving urchins and weak pawns of the imperialist Americans.

In a technique favored by the "progressive left," Mr. Burns uses a small cadre of anti-war U.S. and pro-Hanoi Vietnamese "eyewitnesses" to explain the complicated policies of the U.S. government. Mr. Burns apparently refused to interview Henry Kissinger, telling the Portland Press Herald he doubted "Kissinger's authority to adequately convey the perspectives of the U.S. government." This alone disqualifies this "documentary" as definitive history on the Vietnam War.

Though Mr. Burns and his collaborators claim otherwise, the real heroes of "The Vietnam War" were not U.S. protesters, but the troops my brother and I led. They fought valiantly for our country and the president who brought us home.

Since meeting President Nixon in the 1980s, I have always remembered how he understood the incredible sacrifice of American blood in the battlefields of Vietnam. He was dedicated to ending the war the right way and committed to sustaining American honor. He kept his promise to bring us home.

Ken Burns failed to keep his promise to tell all sides about the long and difficult war in Vietnam. Mr. Burns, like John Kerry, has committed a grave injustice to those of us who fought there.

• Oliver North was a Marine platoon leader in Vietnam, and recipient of the Silver Star, the Bronze Star for Valor, and two Purple Hearts.

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Monday Morning Humor—Halloween from Al

Halloween Quotes…

On Halloween, parents send their kids out looking like me.--Rodney Dangerfield

Halloween was confusing. All my life my parents said, "Never take candy from strangers." And then they dressed me up and said, "Go beg for it." I didn't know what to do. I'd knock on people's doors and go, "Trick or treat…no thank you."--Rita Rudner

This Halloween the most popular mask is the Arnold Schwarzenegger mask. And the best part? With a mouth full of candy you will sound just like him.--Conan O'Brien

Nothing on Earth so beautiful as the final haul on Halloween night.--Steve Almond

A grandmother pretends she doesn't know who you are on Halloween.--Erma Bombeck

Demons are a ghoul's best friend.--Anon

Being in a band you can wear whatever you want--it's like an excuse for Halloween everyday.--Gwen Stefani

Halloween is the one night a year when girls can dress like a total slut and no other girls can say anything about it.--Lindsay Lohan

Eat, drink and be scary.—Anon

There are three things I have learned never to discuss with people: religion, politics and the Great Pumpkin.--Linus Van Pelt in "It's the Great Pumpkin, Charlie Brown"

A photographer goes to a haunted castle determined to get a picture of a ghost on Halloween. The ghost he encounters turns out to be friendly and poses for a snapshot. The happy photographer later downloads his photos and finds that the photos are underexposed and completely blank. Moral to the story: The spirit is willing, but the flash is weak.

One October 31st, at 8.00pm, two fire-fighters could see a fire raging in the back yard. It was clearly in breach of the rule on burning leaves after dark. One of the firemen knocked on the door, and they both waited each holding their helmet in their hand. The little old woman opened the door and promptly dropping a bar of candy into each helmet. She then told them, 'Aren't you boys are a little old for trick and treat, and closed the door'. The fire-fighters left open mouthed.

Chris Cross, a tourist in Vienna, is going passed Vienna's Zentralfriedhof graveyard on October 31st. All of a sudden he hears some music. No one is around, so he starts searching for the source. Chris finally locates the origin and finds it is coming from a grave with a headstone that reads: Ludwig van Beethoven, 1770-1827. Then he realizes that the music is the Ninth Symphony and it is being played backward! Puzzled, he leaves the graveyard and persuades Tim Burr, a friend, to return with him. By the time they arrive back at the grave, the music has changed. This time it is the Seventh Symphony, but like the previous piece, it is being played backward. Curious, the men agree to consult a music scholar. When they return with the expert, the Fifth Symphony is playing, again backward. The expert notices that the symphonies are being played in the reverse order in which they were composed, the 9th, then the 7th, then the 5th. By the next day the word has spread and a throng has gathered around the grave. They are all listening to the Second Symphony being played backward. Just then the graveyard's caretaker ambles up to the group. Someone in the crowd asks him if he has an explanation for the music. "Oh, it's nothing to worry about" says the caretaker. "He's just decomposing!"

Three vampires went into a bar and sat down. The barmaid came over to take their orders. "And what would you, er, gentlemen like tonight?" The first vampire said, "I'll have a mug of blood." The second vampire said, "I'll have a mug of blood." The third vampire shook his head at his companions and said, "I will have a glass of plasma." The barmaid wrote down each order, went to the bar and called to the bartender, "Two bloods and a blood light."

Submitted by John Hudson:

You might be a redneck if the Halloween pumpkin on your porch has more teeth than your spouse.

Crew of AC-130 Gunship Honored for Suppressing Taliban Ambush

Item Number:1 Date: 10/30/2017 AFGHANISTAN - TALIBAN HIT POLICE OUTPOST IN KUNDUZ PROVINCE, KILL 13 (OCT 30/VOA) VOICE OF AMERICA NEWS -- Afghan officials say a raid raid by the Taliban in the northern Kunduz province has killed 13 Afghan police officers, reports Voice of America. The heavily armed insurgents attacked a police outpost in the Khan Abad district of the province before dawn Sunday morning. Only one soldier escaped, said the district police chief. At least one Taliban fighter was reportedly killed in the attack. The attackers took away weapons, ammunition and an armored military vehicle, said the district police chief. A day before, officials confirmed separate attacks in eastern Ghazni province which had killed at least nine police, according to Pajhwok News (Afghanistan).

Item Number:2 Date: 10/30/2017 CANADA - 1 CANADIAN MECHANIZED BRIGADE GROUP TRAINING FOCUSES ON SKILLS, READINESS (OCT 30/CDND) CANADA DEPARTMENT OF NATIONAL DEFENSE -- The 1 Canadian Mechanized Brigade Group, based in Edmonton, Alberta, is in the midst of a three-week exercise to enhance its skills and readiness, reports the Canadian Dept. of National Defense. Exercise Iron Ram at Canadian Forces Base Wainwright, Alberta, which began on Oct. 23 and runs through Nov. 17, is designed to improve individual and collective combat skills and support several national-level individual training courses. The drills specifically cover combined arms operations integrating infantry, armor, artillery and combat engineer elements supported by combat service support elements, such as signals and medical units, among others, the department said on Oct. 25. Around 2,400 personnel are taking part in the training. The unit is scheduled to begin the army's Road to High Readiness (RTHR) training program in the summer of 2018. This is the service's flagship training program for domestic and expeditionary deployments as required

Item Number:3 Date: 10/30/2017 CANADA - STAFF PERSONNEL SHORTAGES AFFECTING DEFENSE ACQUISITIONS (OCT 30/CP) CANADIAN PRESS -- Canadian officials say a lack of procurement personnel will make it difficult for the Dept. of National Defense to execute major defense purchases planned by the government, reports the Canadian Press. In the government's defense policy review published earlier this year, Ottawa pledged to spend an additional Can$62 billion (US$48 billion) on the military over the next 20 years. Work is underway to streamline procurement processes and hire hundreds of additional staff, including procurement experts, engineers and technicians, officials said at an Oct. 26 conference hosted by the Canadian Global Affairs Institute. Meanwhile, the government's latest fiscal review, published last week, showed that the Trudeau administration had quietly reduced the amount of funding allocated for equipment purchases over the next five years. The reductions were said to be made because of delays in several projects. The government insists that the Can$382 million (US$298 million) in funding will be available when those projects are ready. Experts have expressed concern that the Defense Dept. may not be prepared for the planned budget increases, leading to further waste and delays

Item Number:4 Date: 10/30/2017 INDIA - BETTER DEFENSE TIES SOUGHT WITH FRANCE (OCT 30/PTI) PRESS TRUST OF INDIA -- During wide-ranging talks last week, the defense ministers of India and France discussed ways to boost bilateral security ties, with a focus on industry cooperation, reports the Press Trust of India. Indian Defense Minister Nirmala Sitharaman hosted his French counterpart, Florence Parley, on Friday in New Delhi. Their agenda included regional security, transfer of critical technology for various defense industry projects and efforts to improve overall strategic ties, officials said. The ministers also discussed how to improve maritime cooperation, counterterrorism and technological cooperation under the "Make in India" initiative, said a release from the French Embassy.

Item Number:5 Date: 10/30/2017 IRAQ - ANBAR CAMPAIGN AGAINST ISIS SLOWS; POOR WEATHER, LAND MINES CITED (OCT 30/IQN) IRAQI NEWS -- Sources say poor weather in western Iraq has slowed the advance of Iraqi troops fighting the Islamic State in Anbar province, reports Iraqi News. Sandstorms and rain, along with land mines planted by militants, forced Iraqi troops to pause on movements. Commanders are reportedly worried that the inclement weather could cause mines to detonate, according to Turkey's Anadalou Agency. Domestic forces are fighting to retake the towns of Rawa and Qaim, Islamic State's last holdings in the country. Both lie on the border with Syria.

Item Number:6 Date: 10/30/2017 IRAQ - BARZANI STEPS DOWN AS PRESIDENT OF KURDISH REGION (OCT 30/ALJAZ) AL JAZEERA -- Masoud Barzani, the head of the Kurdish Region (KRG), based in Erbil n northern Iraq, has announced that he is giving up his position as president, reports Al Jazeera (Qatar). The veteran Kurdish leader sent his letter announcing the move to the Parliament of the semi-autonomous enclave. The parliament accepted the move on Sunday in a closed session. Barzani's current term is set to expire Tuesday. An independent referendum he backed a month earlier triggered a regional crisis, noted Reuters. Barzani will continue to head the High Political Council, the body charged with navigating KRG affairs in the wake of September's referendum, an assistant said.

Item Number:7 Date: 10/30/2017 JAPAN - TOKYO TO DONATE 5 NAVAL AIRCRAFT; PLANES TO HELP PROTECT COASTS (OCT 30/NAR) NIKKEI ASIAN REVIEW -- The Japanese Ministry of Defense has announced that it will donate five military training aircraft to the Philippines next year, reports the Nikkei Asian Review. The transfer follows a recent change in Japanese law that allows Tokyo to donate used military equipment to developing countries. Japan has been providing TC-90 aircraft to the Philippines under a lease agreement. They will now be supplied free of charge, the ministry said on Oct. 25. Two of the planes have already been delivered, with three more to be handed over in March 2018. Manila requested the change from a leasing arrangement to a donation, said Japan's Acquisition, Technology and Logistics Agency. The change was agreed during talks between Japanese Defense Ministry Itsunori Onodera and Philippine Defense Secretary Delfin Lorenzana on Oct. 23. The TC-90s are intended to help the Philippines monitor and secure its coast and deal with Chinese efforts to build military facilities in the South China Sea

Item Number:8 Date: 10/30/2017 NEW ZEALAND - RON MARK NAMED DEFENSE MINISTER; VETERAN SERVED IN KIWI, OMANI ARMIES (OCT 30/NZH) NEW ZEALAND HERALD -- A New Zealand army veteran has been appointed defense minister in the new Labour-New Zealand First-Green Party coalition government, reports the New Zealand Herald. The tripartite government coalition was sworn in on Oct. 26, noted Defense News. Ron Marks, 63, the new defense minister and deputy leader of the New Zealand First party, joined the army in 1971 as a mechanic and rose to the rank of captain before leaving in 1985. He then joined the Omani land forces, where he served until 1990. He is expected to work closely with Winston Peters, the head of the New Zealand First party, who will hold the Foreign Ministry portfolio. Peters will also serve as deputy prime minister. The New Zealand First party has pledged to "return offensive capabilities the Royal New Zealand Air Force and enhance offensive capabilities of the army and navy," including setting up a cyberwarfare unit

Item Number:9 Date: 10/30/2017 NORTH KOREA - WASHINGTON HITS N. KOREA WITH NEW SANCTIONS; TARGETS LINKED TO MILITARY, FORCED-LABOR CAMPS (OCT 30/HILL) THE HILL -- Washington has placed sanctions on 10 North Korean nationals and firms that have ties to the military and forced-labor camps in that country, reports the Hill (Washington, D.C.). On Oct. 26, the Office of Foreign Assets Control at the U.S. Dept. of the Treasury has implemented sanctions against seven North Korean individuals and three entities in response to ongoing and serious human-rights abuses, the department said in a release. Treasury's actions were made in conjunction with the State Dept.'s "Report on Serious Human Rights Abuses and Censorship in North Korea," which was submitted in accordance with the North Korea Sanctions and Policy Enhancement Act of 2016. The measures announced last week target "North Korean military and regime officials engaged in flagrant abuses of human rights," said Treasury Secretary Steve Mnuchin. "We also are targeting North Korean financial facilitators who attempt to keep the regime afloat with foreign currency earned through forced-labor operations." The entities hit with sanctions include the Military Security Command, also known as the Military Security Bureau or Korean People's Army Security Bureau, as well as the director and deputy director of the organization, said the Treasury release. The External Construction Bureau and the Ch'olhyo'n Overseas Construction Company were also sanctioned. The latter has been based in Algeria and reportedly earned foreign currency for the regime in Pyongyang. The director of the External Construction Bureau was also affected by the measures. Government officials hit with sanctions included Ri Thae Chol, the first vice minister of the Ministry of People's Security; Ku Sung Sop, consul general in Shanghai, China; and Kim Min Chol, a diplomat at the North Korean Embassy in Vietnam

Item Number:10 Date: 10/30/2017 SAUDI ARABIA - STATE AIRLINE TO FLY REGULARLY TO IRAQ: FLIGHTS STOPPED IN 1990 (OCT 30/REU) REUTERS -- State-owned Saudi Arabian Airlines will resume direct flights to Iraq after a 27-year freeze, reported Reuters, citing state media. Saleh bin Nasser al-Jasser, the carrier's director general, is expected to sit on the first flight, which is scheduled for Monday. Regular flights between Saudi Arabia and Iraq have not taken place since 1990, when Saddam Hussein invaded neighboring Kuwait. Saudi Arabia and the United Arab Emirates have convened a series of high-profile meetings with Iraqi leaders in an attempt to curb Iranian influence in the region. Earlier in this month, Saudi and Iraqi leaders agreed to set up a joint trade commission.

Item Number:11 Date: 10/30/2017 SOMALIA - GOVERNMENT SACKS POLICE, INTEL CHIEFS AFTER TERRORIST ASSAULT IN CAPITAL (OCT 30/AFP) AGENCE FRANCE-PRESSE -- The Somali government has fired its police and intelligence chiefs after a deadly assault in the nation's capital over the weekend, reports Agence France-Presse. They were sacked after the death toll reached 27 on Sunday. The assault began on Saturday when a car bomb detonated near the gates of Nasa Hablod Two Hotel, near the presidential palace, reported CNN. Militants then stormed the building, fighting their way to the building's top floor. One of the attackers later detonated a suicide vest, reported Sky News (U.K.). The hotel is popular with the country's elite, politicians and security personnel. Elsewhere, a bomb placed inside a minibus exploded outside the house of a former parliamentarian where security forces had gathered, said authorities. Among the dead were former MP Abdinasir Garane, regional minister Madoobe Nuunow and a police official. At least 40 were wounded. Two of the attackers were killed and three others were in custody, a spokesman with the security ministry told CNN. Al-Shabaab has claimed responsibility for the assault

Item Number:12 Date: 10/30/2017 SOUTH KOREA - DURING MEETING IN SEOUL, TOP U.S. OFFICIALS AGREE TO STEP UP DEFENSES (OCT 30/MILTIMES) MILITARY TIMES -- South Korean officials have agreed to purchase more advanced weapons from the United States, according agreements reported in Military Times. Seoul will also develop more advanced missiles. The agreement also called for a more consistent U.S. nuclear weapon presence, said officials. The agreement was reached Saturday in Seoul between South Korean military leaders and Chairman of the Joint Chiefs Gen. Joseph Dunford and U.S. Defense Secretary Jim Mattis. The Americans were there to discuss steps to upgrade South Korean artillery and missile defense capabilities and implement the deployment of U.S. bomber, submarine and aircraft carriers. South Korea's Defense Minister Song Young Moo said the two sides agreed to "continue expanding the acquisition of high-tech capabilities for the [Republic of Korea] military." No purchases nor details were announced.

Item Number:13 Date: 10/30/2017 SOUTH KOREA - NAVY RECEIVES INITIAL UNIT FROM CLASS PATROL BOATS (OCT 30/NAVTOD) NAVAL TODAY -- The South Korean Navy has taken delivery of the first in a new series of Chamsuri II-class patrol boats, reports Naval Today, citing defense officials. Delivery took place in the HHI shipyard in Pusan (Busan). PKMR 211 was launched in July 2016. The 230-ton ship is the first in a new class of patrol boats aimed at replacing the aging and bulkier class of Chamsuri crafts from the 1970s. Together, the PKX-A and PKX-B make up the new class of PKX boats. The PKX-B is outfitted with a 130-mm guided rocket launcher and 76-mm machine guns.

Item Number:14 Date: 10/30/2017 TUNISIA - AUTHORITIES BUST AQIM-LINKED TERRORISTS IN TUNIS (OCT 30/ANADOLU) ANADOLU NEWS AGENCY -- Tunisian authorities have announced the arrests of four suspected members of an Al-Qaida-linked cell, reports the Anadolu agency (Turkey). The Interior Ministry said the four, between the ages of 27 and 32, were arrested Saturday in Tunis, the capital. The Uqba Ben Nafi brigade, a branch of Al-Qaida in the Islamic Maghreb (AQIM), is primarily active in the country's west, in the Chaambi mountain region. Its members have been blamed for dozens of attacks on police and soldiers in the area and as well as a March 2015 attack on a museum in Tunis

Item Number:15 Date: 10/30/2017 USA - 2 SEALSS UNDER INVESTIGATION; PROBE CONTINUES ON STRANGLING OF GREEN BERET IN MALI THIS SUMMER (OCT 30/NYT) NEW YORK TIMES -- Naval authorities are investigating two members of Seal Team 6 over the strangling death of a U.S. Army Green Beret while on assignment in Mali earlier this year, reports the New York Times. Staff Sgt. Logan J. Melgar, 34, was found dead on June 4 in his quarters in the American Embassy in Bamako, the capital of Mali. He shared housing with other special operations personnel assigned to training and counterterrorism missions in the country. His superiors suspected foul play. His death was ruled a homicide by asphyxiation. Army's Criminal Investigation Command handed their findings to the Naval Criminal Investigative Service last month. The two SEALs have been placed on administrative leave. Their identities have not been released

Item Number:16 Date: 10/30/2017 USA - AIR FORCE ORDERS MORE LASER-GUIDED BOMB KITS FROM LOCKHEED; DEAL WORTH $131 MILLION (OCT 30/LM) LOCKHEED MARTIN -- The U.S. Air Force has awarded Lockheed Martin a $131 million contract for more Paveway II Plus laser-guided bomb kits, reports the defense firm. The deal also covers Foreign Military Sales and replacement kits, said a Lockheed release on Oct. 25. The Paveway II Plus kit features an enhanced guidance package that can be fitted on GBU-10, GBU-12 and GBU-16 bombs. The kit is cleared for use on U.S. Air Force, Navy and international aircraft cleared to employ laser-guided weapons. Production of the guidance kits and air foil groups for GBU-10 and GBU-12 bombs will begin in the first quarter of 2018, said Lockheed

Item Number:17 Date: 10/30/2017 USA - MODERNIZED ABRAMS TANKS ROLL OVER PRODUCTION LINE; ARMY RECEIVES INITIAL BATCH (OCT 30/ARMY) ARMY TIMES -- The U.S. Army has taken delivery of its initial upgraded M1A2 Abrams main battle tanks, reports the Army Times. The first of six M1A2 System Enhancement Package Version 3 (SEP V3) tanks rolled off the initial production line at the Joint Systems Manufacturing Center in Ohio in early October, the Army said. The modernization is part of the service's program to enhance the lethality of its ground combat systems for conflicts with potential near-peer adversaries. The SEP V3 upgrade includes onboard power, electronics, computing, weapons, force protection and sensor improvements. It is primarily a bridge to the planned V4 variant planned for the 2020s, said program officials. Specific enhancements include the Joint Tactical Radio System; improved power generation and distribution; redesigned line-replaceable units and line-replaceable modules; Counter Remote-Control Improvised Explosive Device (IED) Electronic Warfare Version 3 system; ammunition data link; auxiliary power unit; and unspecified armor upgrades. The V4 model, slated for testing in 2021, production in 2023 and fielding in 2025, will feature new laser rangefinder technology; color cameras; advanced meteorological sensors; ammunition data links; laser warning devices; integrated onboard networks; and enhanced 120-mm tank ammunition, including a multipurpose rounds, noted the release

Item Number:18 Date: 10/30/2017 USA - NAVY EYES EXPANDED ASIA-PACIFIC PRESENCE; SECRETARY HOSTS SINGAPORE'S DEFENSE MINISTER (OCT 30/STIMES) STRAITS TIMES -- During a recent meeting in Washington, D.C., U.S. Navy Secretary Richard Spencer told Singapore Defense Minister Ng Eng Hen that his service has plans to increase its presence in the Asia-Pacific region, reports the Straits Times. Ng accompanied Prime Minister Lee Hsien Loong on an official trip to the U.S. last week. The defense minister met with Spencer on Oct. 26. As part of the planned expansion, the U.S. Navy will increase the number of ships assigned to the region, Spencer said. This enhanced presence and increased engagement with partners in the region are major goals for the Navy, Spencer said. Spencer and Ng also reaffirmed the strong partnership between their respective navies and marine corps, noted a release from the Singapore Ministry of Defense. The talks also covered Singapore's chairing role of the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) for 2018. Mentioned were potential ways to support counterterrorism and maritime security cooperation between the regional organization and the U.S.

Item Number:19 Date: 10/30/2017 USA - NAVY HAS 3 CARRIERS IN PACIFIC: RARE SHOW OF FORCE (OCT 30/MILTIMES) MILITARY TIMES -- The U.S. Navy has three aircraft carriers and their attached striker group in the Pacific, reports the Military Times. The Nimitz, Theodore Roosevelt and Ronald Reagan are accompanied by more than 20,000 sailors, hundreds of aircraft and several destroyers and cruisers. The display of power is taking place in the Japan 7th Fleet's area of operations. While joint exercises have yet to be announced, a source told the Navy Times that planning is underway. The movement of the three carriers was previously planned, said the Navy. The Roosevelt is expected to take the place of the Nimitz in the Middle East. They arrive amid increasingly bellicose rhetoric between the United States and North Korea and before a planned visit by President Trump to the region

Item Number:20 Date: 10/30/2017 USA - SMALL U.S. MARINE TEAMS CONTINUE ADVISING AFGHANS AT BRIGADE, BATTALION LEVELS (OCT 30/MCT) MARINE CORPS TIMES -- Small teams of U.S. Marines have been deployed to bases in Afghanistan to advise Afghan brigades and battalions, reports the Marine Corps Times, citing Task Force Southwest officials. Since arriving in Afghanistan's southern Helmand province six months ago, the 300-strong task force has sent six teams to domestic forward operating bases, said Col. Matthew Grosz, the senior adviser to the Afghan army's 215th Corps. The "expeditionary adviser packages" consist of advisers, enablers and security forces, said Grosz. He did not say how many Marines are on the teams. The Marines are assigned to assist the Afghans with command-and-control, fire support and casualty evacuations. The advisers do not accompany Afghans on combat missions, Grosz said.. Since the task force deployed, the 215th Corps has improved at integrating intelligence into its planning; taking care of soldier promotions, leave and pay; and fixed weapons and vehicles, said the colonel.

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